Disney Says No To Heavy Metal

Heavy metal acts moved off Disney properties

By Greg Burk, Special to The Times

September 15, 2007



Metal detectors may soon be irrelevant at House of Blues clubs, at
least any sitting on property owned by the Walt Disney Co. Five
heavy-metal concerts scheduled on Disney property in Anaheim and
Orlando have been hastily shifted to other venues or canceled recently,
according to House of Blues website calendars.



A Sept. 7 show featuring Machine Head, Arch Enemy, Throwdown and
Sanctity, booked two months earlier, was moved on two days' notice from
the House of Blues in Anaheim's Downtown Disney entertainment complex
to the Glass House in Pomona. Thursday's concert with Cannibal Corpse,
The Black Dahlia Murder, The Red Chord and The Abscence, originally
slated for Anaheim House of Blues, was moved to the Galaxy Theatre in
Santa Ana. A Sept. 26 Anaheim House of Blues concert featuring
Obituary, Alabama Thunderpussy, Full Blown Chaos and Hemlock has been
canceled outright.



At the House of Blues in Orlando, Fla., on Disney World property, a
Sept. 17 concert of the Machine Head lineup has been moved to Club
Firestone in downtown Orlando. The same action has been taken with the
Oct. 11 Cannibal Corpse package.



Asked about the scheduling changes, John Vlautin, vice president of
communications for Live Nation (formerly Clear Channel), the
concert-promotion organization that owns the nationwide House of Blues
chain, issued a statement Thursday that said only: "House of Blues
offers a range of entertainment to match the audience at our venues. It
was determined that the mix of entertainment at our two Disney
locations should be different from our other venues."



Vlautin declined to comment on why metal bands have been singled out
after years of similar bookings or whether other metal events already
scheduled, including Suffocation, Edguy and Static X, will be affected.



Rob Doughty, communications vice president for Disneyland Resorts,
declined to comment, referring inquiries to Vlautin. Paul McGuigan,
concert promoter at the Anaheim House of Blues, also declined to
comment through a club spokeswoman.



The Walt Disney Co., through Vlautin, issued a short statement Thursday
that included no specifics about the shifts of the metal concerts: "In
consultation with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, the House of Blues
will provide a mix of entertainment for guests visiting Disney Resorts."



Robb Flynn, vocalist and guitarist of Machine Head, expressed surprise
about the venue change, saying in a phone interview that the group had
played both clubs several times without incident. He said he had been
told that Disney pressured House of Blues to evict metal on the grounds
that it attracted an "undesirable" element; he also said he suspects
that "one of the main issues of contention Disney had with Machine Head
was our antiwar and anti-administration lyrics."



A sample lyric from the Bay Area quartet's current recording, "The
Blackening," goes, "Murder us, silence us, / Divide and conquer us."



The veteran Cannibal Corpse, which headlines the touring Metal Blade
Records bill that was removed from the Anaheim and Orlando House of
Blues calendars, is known for its extreme album-cover artwork and
death-obsessed lyrics such as "Pray to our God / With blood we praise
his epic acts of hate," from last year's "Kill" collection. Many modern
metal bands express an antiwar, anti-authority and/or anti-religion
message.



John Halperin, talen booker for the Glass House, said Friday that the
Machine Head show transferred to his venue came off to the satisfaction
of bands and fans, despite the fact that it is an all-ages club where
no alcohol is sold.

Well that sucks.

I think Robb Flynn is playing martyr though. I doubt it has anything specifically to do with his "anti-war and anti-administration lyrics". I could be wrong, but it sounds like he is reading more into than is really there. I would believe that Disney thinks metal bands attract a crowd they don't want at their venues. Perhaps they would do better getting in some gangsta rap bands.

Mickey doesn't want his Mouseketeers to mosh??

It may not be the popular opinion, but I have no problem with this. I've known people that work for the Disney company and they have a strict set of rules and standards. It's their rules, their establishment. If you don't like it, go somewhere else. Disney has the right to deny or cancel anything which they find objectionable or in contrast to the standards they have set. It's unfortunate for fans that already purchased tickets, but the show was moved and the concert was performed.

I think where the problem could lie is if the Disney Corp is inconsistant with their standards. It has to be the same across the board, no matter if it's a metal act, a rap act, or even a comedy show. They can set the level to whatever they want, it's their perogitive, but they have to be consistent. And people just have to accept that and move along.

ultmetal wrote:

Well that sucks.

I think Robb Flynn is playing martyr though. I doubt it has anything specifically to do with his "anti-war and anti-administration lyrics". I could be wrong, but it sounds like he is reading more into than is really there. I would believe that Disney thinks metal bands attract a crowd they don't want at their venues. Perhaps they would do better getting in some gangsta rap bands.

The guys on the Megadeth forums are all saying that they heard that ALL metal acts will be banned. Kinda disappointing, since that excellent Halford bootleg was recorded at the HOB.

Disney! you bastards!

MetalGuy71 wrote:

It may not be the popular opinion, but I have no problem with this. I've known people that work for the Disney company and they have a strict set of rules and standards. It's their rules, their establishment. If you don't like it, go somewhere else. Disney has the right to deny or cancel anything which they find objectionable or in contrast to the standards they have set. It's unfortunate for fans that already purchased tickets, but the show was moved and the concert was performed.

Exactly.

Not to mention that those bands aren't that great anyway.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Disney has the right to deny or cancel anything which they find objectionable or in contrast to the standards they have set.

i agree.

I fine that disgustingly hypocritical what with developing and releasing some new sex-pop icon every year.

mc666 wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Disney has the right to deny or cancel anything which they find objectionable or in contrast to the standards they have set.

i agree.

So do I.

Someone won't see it that way though. I can see law suites being dreamed up right now.

Disney and metal is like kindergarden and ganger rap.

Dimedude23 wrote:

Disney! you bastards!

that just sounds funny....WRONG!

I know Disney has a right, but I'd like to argue that's just discrimination. Fair enough I maybe wouldn't have someone like Darkthrone playing near a childrens theme park, but Machine Head (although I'm not a fan) aren't exactly singing about eating babies, but companies like Disney seem to like applying such stereotypes

Anyone remember in the mid-90's Disney's Hollywood records was signing bands like ICP, Danzig, and the Dead Milkmen? They got a bunch of conservative flack for it, sold ICP's contract to another company, and shelved any others bands that were remotely non-conserative then refused to give those bands the rights to albums back (until they got sued by some of them anyway)?

Dimedude23 wrote:

Fair enough I maybe wouldn't have someone like Darkthrone playing near a childrens theme park

i guess that Darkthrone/Hilary Duff tour i've been dreaming about will never happen.

mc666 wrote:

Dimedude23 wrote:

Fair enough I maybe wouldn't have someone like Darkthrone playing near a childrens theme park

i guess that Darkthrone/Hilary Duff tour i've been dreaming about will never happen.

It's still a possibility, just not at the House of Blues.

firestar wrote:

Anyone remember in the mid-90's Disney's Hollywood records was signing bands like ICP, Danzig, and the Dead Milkmen? They got a bunch of conservative flack for it, sold ICP's contract to another company, and shelved any others bands that were remotely non-conserative then refused to give those bands the rights to albums back (until they got sued by some of them anyway)?

Yea, they had The Dead Milkmen and Sacred Reich on Hollywood too. Sacred Reich got dumped REAL quick after the promo department sent out Sacred Reich water pipes/bongs to a bunch of critics to promote their CD too! I guess Mickey didn't want any part of such unsavory activities.

mc666 wrote:

i guess that Darkthrone/Hilary Duff tour i've been dreaming about will never happen.

I'd pay to see that.

Or a black metal version of "High School Musical"

Fat Freddy wrote:

mc666 wrote:

i guess that Darkthrone/Hilary Duff tour i've been dreaming about will never happen.

I'd pay to see that.

Or a black metal version of "High School Musical"

Speaking of High School Musical.... so........ erm... how bout that.... erm.... controversy...... you know....

oh please indulge?!

T-Roy wrote:

oh please indulge?!

One of the lead stars took nudie pictures of herself, and they got leaked all over the internets, much to her embarssment.

Chairman_Smith wrote:

Speaking of High School Musical.... so........ erm... how bout that.... erm.... controversy...... you know....

All I have to say is the internet is an amazing tool.

I wonder if the same will happen to rap and punk, as well as other "non-conformist" types of music. Besides, the "concerned parent"/PMRC types who despise all metal music (no exceptions) with a rabid vengeance are vehemently opposed to rap and punk as well.

I agree that Disney has the right, but it just sounds too
hypocritical, after all this is the same Disney that is going to
allow homosexual marriages be held at their theme parks.
Two dudes kissing each other is OK, but metal is immoral and a bad influence?